RESUMO
Extraction of structural and geometric information from 3-D images of blood vessels is a well known and widely addressed segmentation problem. The segmentation of cerebral blood vessels is of great importance in diagnostic and clinical applications, with a special application in diagnostics and surgery on arteriovenous malformations (AVM). However, the techniques addressing the problem of the AVM inner structure segmentation are rare. In this work we present a novel method of pixel profiling with the application to segmentation of the 3-D angiography AVM images. Our algorithm stands out in situations with low resolution images and high variability of pixel intensity. Another advantage of our method is that the parameters are set automatically, which yields little manual user intervention. The results on phantoms and real data demonstrate its effectiveness and potentials for fine delineation of AVM structure.
Assuntos
Algoritmos , Angiografia Cerebral/métodos , Malformações Arteriovenosas Intracranianas/diagnóstico por imagem , Reconhecimento Automatizado de Padrão/métodos , Interpretação de Imagem Radiográfica Assistida por Computador/métodos , Técnica de Subtração , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/métodos , Humanos , Intensificação de Imagem Radiográfica/métodos , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
Thoracic trauma or pneumothorax can result in pleural fluid eosinophilia. In this study we investigated the role of the eosinophilopoietic cytokine IL-5 in three cases of post-traumatic eosinophilic pleural effusions (EPE). Using a specific immunoenzymatic assay, significant levels of IL-5 were found in EPE (range 100-3000 pg/ml), while IL-5 was undetectable (< 25 pg/ml) in corresponding serum samples and in non-eosinophilic pleural fluids. IL-5 present in pleural fluids was found bioactive in a proliferative assay using a mouse CTLL-2 cell line transfected with the cDNA corresponding to the alpha chain of the human IL-5 receptor. Using a reverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, we found IL-5 mRNA expression within pleural mononuclear cells from patients with EPE, but not in corresponding peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), confirming that IL-5 is synthesized locally in the pleural cavity. In the two cases in which pleural CD4+ cells were purified, these cells were identified as the major source of IL-5. Taken together, these data indicate that the development of post-traumatic EPE is related to a local secretion of IL-5 by CD4+ cells present in the pleural cavity.
Assuntos
Interleucina-5/biossíntese , Derrame Pleural/imunologia , Eosinofilia Pulmonar/imunologia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Sequência de Bases , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/imunologia , Linhagem Celular , Feminino , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Interleucina-5/genética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Derrame Pleural/etiologia , Pneumotórax/complicações , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Eosinofilia Pulmonar/etiologia , RNA Mensageiro/análise , Traumatismos Torácicos/complicaçõesRESUMO
Human recombinant interferon-alpha 2C was given to 4 patients with essential thrombocythaemia. Three patients achieved a complete remission on day 19 +/- 1 and the 4th achieved a partial remission. After 4 weeks of induction therapy, a maintenance therapy of twice weekly intramuscular injections of 5 X 10(6) or 10 X 10(6) IU was instituted but did not maintain the remission.
Assuntos
Interferon Tipo I/uso terapêutico , Proteínas Recombinantes/uso terapêutico , Trombocitemia Essencial/terapia , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Contagem de PlaquetasRESUMO
The influence of chronic therapy with nifedipine on the pharmacokinetics of propranolol 80 mg twice daily, metoprolol 100 mg twice daily and atenolol 100 mg once daily was investigated in eight healthy volunteers. Nifedipine 10 mg three times daily did not affect the pharmacokinetics of metoprolol and atenolol whereas nifedipine shortened the time to peak plasma concentration for propranolol by about 1 h. Propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol provoked comparable decreases in heart rate measured at rest and during exercise. The beta-adrenoceptor blocking properties of propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol were not affected by concomitant therapy with nifedipine. The present study did not show significant pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between nifedipine and lipophilic beta-adrenoceptor blockers.
Assuntos
Antagonistas Adrenérgicos beta/metabolismo , Nifedipino/farmacologia , Adulto , Atenolol/metabolismo , Atenolol/farmacologia , Interações Medicamentosas , Humanos , Cinética , Masculino , Metoprolol/metabolismo , Metoprolol/farmacologia , Propranolol/metabolismo , Propranolol/farmacologiaRESUMO
In patients with hematological malignancies and splenomegaly, acute abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant is highly suspicious of splenic disease (i.e., hematoma, infarction, or rupture). We report the case of a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia and splenomegaly who presented an unusual abdominal condition causing pain in the left upper quadrant, with a clinical presentation mimicking acute splenic disease. The diagnostic dilemma was resolved by ultrasonography, demonstrating a rectus sheath hematoma.
